Mando Gathering at Wintergrass

[mandopete]

...and another big highlight of the gathering was Martin Stillion's eMandos. Picture here are 16 that he brought (I think there may have been more). What a blast getting to play these, it was like being a kid in the candy store. I barely knew where to start. I was trying to get a picture that would convey the massive amount of instruments he brought. Suffice it to say I was a little less of a blast to pack 'em all away and haul them down to his car at o' Dark Thirty!

Thanks Martin!

[mrmando]

Thanks Pete! The photo doesn't show the National Silvo tenor hiding in the corner. Clockwise from left: Schwab tenor, Earnest Radiator tenor, '30s Gibson EM150 (went home with Zeke), National Silvo, Josh Hegg octave, Yanuziello, JBovier, 1980s Kentucky KM300E, G.D. Armstrong, Old Wave e-mandola, Kent e-mandola (not mine, brought it up from the Christian Musician booth), GoldTone GM110, National Triolian, Fender FM-984, Bacorn, Roberts Tiny Moore.

Pete brought his Mann baritone and Mandobart brought his MandoBird. I hope we didn't scare off people with all the electrics ... the fact that we had only two amps helped keep the cacophony down.

I think the only electrics I didn't bring were the Antoniotsai "Little Ricky," because it's still in pieces, and my other National Silvo. Just missed having a Fender FM60E 5-string ... I shipped it out Saturday morning, but there's another one on the way in. Also coming in are a Chris Eccleshall 8-string and something from Andrew Jerman. I also brought Rita, the snakehead Gibson A4, to the gathering ... at various times during Wintergrass I also had along the Jonathan Franke fiddle, 1912 F4, 1923 A2Z, Rigel resophonic, Rigel R100 and upright bass.

Special thanks to Cameron from the hotel staff, and Mandobart, for helping me schlep everything up to the meeting room, and to Pete for helping me pack and schlep it back down to the car. Couldn't have done it without you guys!

Akira is a wonderful musician, generous soul, and sweet fella. He seemed to like the Bussman e-mandola in particular. Great time jamming with Akira, Craig Korth, Pete, Zeke and several other super pickers. We played everything from bluegrass to a G minor "space jam" that reminded me of Otis Taylor. Before he left, Akira thrust John Duffey's F12 into my hands so I could try it out. Still speechless about that.